Why Carlos Quentin should be traded

San Diego Padres' Carlos Quentin connects for an RBI single against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning of a baseball game on Sunday, July 28, 2013, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
— AP

San Diego Padres' Carlos Quentin connects for an RBI single against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning of a baseball game on Sunday, July 28, 2013, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
/ AP

Carlos Quentin has been abusing baseballs, undressing pitchers, and generating runs like few else in the National League. His productivity has finally chased down the Padres’ $9 million-a-year expectations, and if he keeps up this tear, will move 90 feet closer to elite-player status.

It’s been a pleasant upswing for an organization searching for optimism with a pickaxe and mining helmet, and if you’re San Diego General Manager Josh Byrnes, there’s really only one way to react.

Trade him.

I know – insane, right? Ship out your main power source when his wattage has never been higher? But that’s the thing about lights shining with unprecedented brightness – it often means burnout is just a flash away.

As we near Wednesday's trade deadline, the following can't be refuted: Quentin, who has two years left on his contract, has never played more than 131 games in a season, averaged just 108 over the past four years, and is 81 for 107 in 2013. Padres manager Bud Black noted on Monday that the former designated hitter was on pace to appear in “as many games as he has in a number of years,” but isn’t that like pointing out that Alaska is having one of its warmer winters of the decade?

Come on, as Bill Parcells famously said, “you are what your record says you are” – and don’t think that doesn’t apply to injury history, too. So given what Quentin has done this month, and given how he has played in 30 of the past 32 games, isn’t this a chance to nab some value for this forever fragile Friar?

Seems so. Of course, there is the small matter of Quentin having a no-trade clause in his contract. Asked Monday if he would be open to waiving the condition if the price was right, the left-fielder said “to be honest, I have not thought about that at all .”

But he has thought about a few other things.

He’s thought about how to protect his feeble knees, which he has done by shedding 15 pounds and adjusting his stance to take pressure off his lower half.

He’s thought about placing his health in the hands of those he has deemed most qualified, stating that part of the reason he signed with the Padres is because their trainers “work their (behinds) off every day.”

And he’s thought about whether running into a wall as though he were JJ Watt pursuing Tom Brady is really worth the injury risk…ultimately deciding that it was.

“I’ve been trained to play hard,” said the ever-intense Quentin. “Mike Trout plays that way. Bryce Harper plays that way. How do you tell someone not to play that way?”

You don’t. And you can’t disrespect Carlos for his approach. But you can deal him for it.

Look, there is no denying what Quentin has achieved over the past few weeks. He went 0 for 5 on Independence Day and has been all fireworks since.

His 20 RBIs through Sunday -- all of which came from the fifth of the month on -- were tied for first in the NL for July, and the .277 hitter is on pace for a 22-home-run year.

There’s always a risk in removing a titanium bat from a lineup, but as far as the future is concerned, there’s a greater risk in not trying to get something for Quentin now.

As you read this, there is an American League team sizing Carlos up and drooling over how he can bolster its lineup while keeping the outfield intact. And you know there’s a pitcher or three on that team that could come to San Diego and shore up a staff in desperate need of a makeover.

Yes, the Padres parting ways with highly-paid players has been a longstanding form of torture for their fans, but in this case, it’s appropriate. As anyone who’s dealt with injuries can tell you, sometimes prevention is the most important part.